1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to scraping and cutting implements. More particularly, the present invention relates to combination scraping and cutting implements for use in restaurants and the like having flat top grills.
2. Background
Most restaurants have one or more flat top grills or griddles that provide a relatively flat, hot cooking surface for cooking hamburgers, eggs, pancakes and many other food items thereon. Spatulas and long handled forks are frequently used to cook the food (i.e., flip it over or move it around) and to place the food on a serving plate. As is well known in the industry, the cooked food items almost always leave behind grease, particles of food and other material on the grill that must be cleaned off the grill prior to use of the grill for the next food item. For instance, grease from cooked food is scraped away to a grease drain. When cooking food, it is often necessary to spread cooking grease, butter or other materials on the grill to coat and lubricate that portion of the grill where the food item is to be cooked.
Current tools for scraping away grease and other materials off a grill include the block scraper, plane scraper and griddle scraper. The block scraper, used by many meat departments and bakeries, comprises a small, generally rectangularly shaped block having a knife edge protruding from one edge. The block portion of the block scraper is typically only one to two inches in depth and the knife portion protrudes approximately three to six inches from one edge of the block. A major problem with use of the block scraper to clean grills is that the user""s fingers tend to go over the block and contact the metal knife portion of the block scraper. If the block scraper has been left on the grill, then the metal portion of the block scraper will be very hot and can severely burn that portion of the user""s fingers that contact the metal. As such, if the block scraper has been left on or too near the grill, then the user tends not to use the scraper until it has a chance to cool off. In addition, because the metal portion of the block scraper is generally too short, grease or other material tends to easily splash up onto the user""s fingers or hand.
The larger plane scraper solves some of the problems described above with the block scraper. The plane scraper is similar to an old fashion wood plane, having a base structure with at least one gripping handle on top and a blade protruding from under the base structure. The user places both hands on the top of the base, one hand on the xe2x80x9chandlexe2x80x9d in front and the other hand on the back of the plane scraper to apply downward pressure on the plane scraper to scrape away the grease off the grill. While the plane scraper solves the problem with the block scraper of having grease splash up onto the user""s hand, the plane scraper does tend get too hot to handle if left on or near the grill.
The griddle scraper is the most commonly used device to scrape grills. In fact, the griddle scraper is the only tool made specifically to scrape flat top grills. This device is similar in shape to a large, elongated putty knife. The griddle scraper is held with only one hand, which limits the amount of force or pressure that can be applied by the user to scrape the grill. Other devices, such as cleaning pads and grill bricks, are also used to clean grills. A rigid hamburger turner is also used to scrape the surface of a grill.
Several scraper devices have been patented, including several for use in cooking or cleaning operations. U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,787 to Hartkopf describes a scraper having a thin handle and replaceable blade. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 23,068 is a scraper design comprising a tubular shaped handle along one side edge of the blade. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 285,04 is a scraper design also having a tubular shaped handle at one side edge and along one end of a blade with grooves cut into the side edge tubular structure. All three of these devices suffer from the same disadvantages discussed above for the block scraper.
Although the above-described patents, as well as other related devices, describe various scraping implements, none of the prior art devices known to the inventor describe, singularly or in combination, a simple to make and use grill knife and scraper that does not rapidly acquire heat and does not adequately protect the user from grease and other materials splashing up on the user""s fingers or hand. Consequently, a need exists for a grill knife and scraper that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use, yet which provides a device that does not rapidly become too hot for use and which helps prevent splashing injuries to the user.
The grill knife and scraper of the present invention provides the benefits and helps solve the problems identified above. That is to say, the present invention provides a combination grill knife and scraper that is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, does not rapidly become too hot to handle and which helps prevent or minimize splashing of grease and other material onto the user of the device.
The grill knife and scraper of the present invention comprises a handle portion, a blade portion and a mechanism for connecting the blade to the handle. Unlike the prior scraper devices, the handle of the present invention has a much longer handle length, as measured from the proximal end to the distal end (the proximal end being that end held by the user and the distal end being the end nearest the blade). The longer handle length eliminates or reduces the likelihood of grease or other materials splashing up on the user""s hand while the scraper is being used to scrape the grill surface. The handle of the present invention should be made out of a material that is relatively heat resistant so that the grill knife and scraper can be left on the grill surface for short periods of time without becoming too hot to hold. Materials such as wood, ceramic and various other composite materials have the desired heat resistant properties. The width of the handle, the distance from one outer edge to the other across the handle, should be sufficient for the user to place both hands on the handle when scraping the grill surface. The thickness of the handle, including the portion of the blade in the handle, should be such that it can comfortably fit into the palm of the user""s hand and provide sufficient thickness to enable the user to push downward while scraping without buckling the handle.
The blade of the present invention can be made out of a variety of metals, such as stainless steel, or other materials that provide the benefits described herein. The metal blade should be sufficiently strong to avoid buckling while scraping, adaptable to having a relatively sharp edge, and suitable for cleaning or sterilizing as necessary. The blade length, measured from the proximal end inside the handle to the distal end having an outer edge that scrapes, should be sufficient to securely anchor the blade inside the handle and provide a knife-like extension from the handle. The blade can be anchored inside the handle with cutlery rivets, screws, bolts or an adhesive. The blade should extend from the handle approximately two to three inches to provide a cutting tool without resulting in buckling. The blade to handle interface can be sealed to prevent food materials from getting between the blade and the handle, inside the handle, which can result in contamination problems.
The grill knife and scrape of the present invention can be provided in several different sizes, having a variety of widths and blade lengths without affecting the scope of the present invention. The width can vary depending on the amount of grill surface to clean in a single pass and the width of a person""s hands. The blade length can vary depending on the type of cutting action (i.e., how deep the food to be cut) for which the device will be used.
In use, the person using the grill knife and scraper of the present invention to scrape off the top of a grill will grab the device in the palm of his or her hands and apply a generally downward force against the device on the grill and slide it along the top surface of the grill to scrape off its surface. Because the handle is wide enough for two hands, sufficient effective force can be applied to clean off even stubborn material stuck to the grill surface. To use the device as a cutting tool or knife, the user merely turns the blade in a generally downward direction to slice through the food or other material desired to be cut. Because the handle of the device is made out of generally heat resistant material and the blade is disposed far enough away from the proximal end of the handle, the device can be left on the surface of the grill while the user does something else and then picked back up without burning the user""s fingers or hand.
Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a grill knife and scraper which can be inexpensively made and easily utilized as a cutting and scraping tool for use with the preparation of food and cleaning of a grill surface.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a grill knife and scraper having a handle made out of heat resistant materials and having a sufficient length to prevent or minimize the likelihood of burning the user""s fingers or hand if the device is left on or near the grill or other hot surface.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a grill knife and scraper having a handle of sufficient length to help prevent or minimize splashing of grease or food onto the user of the present invention during scraping operation.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a grill knife and scraper that has a blade portion that extends a sufficient distance from the handle to utilize the device as a cutting tool and to provide an effective scraping tool.
The above and other objectives of the present invention will be explained in greater detail by reference to the attached figures and the description of the preferred embodiment which follows. As set forth herein, the present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, mode of operation and combination of parts presently described and understood by the claims.